California’s community colleges are the workhorse of higher education.

Spread across 112 campuses, they are open to nearly anyone who walks in the door. You need not be a student council president, a legacy or even in the top 12 percent of your class. Just finish high school and pay a nominal fee to enroll.

They dwarf the UC and Cal State systems in student enrollment (2.75 million to 750,000) and in community outreach. They not only prepare underclassmen for transfer but provide career technical training, workforce development, lifelong learning programs and English as a second language.

That makes them a remarkable asset, but it doesn’t shield them from state budget cuts. The latest drop of the guillotine, announced last week, slashed $400 million from statewide funding.

The irony is not lost on Susan Lamb, vice president of instruction at Diablo Valley College, the largest of three Contra Costa Community College District schools (Contra Costa and Los Medanos colleges are the others). Resources have been trimmed, just as demand is increasing.

She explained that dramatic hikes in fees at four-year colleges have meant “we have a lot more students that traditionally would go to UC or CSU.” At the same time, DVC faculty has been trimmed to cut payroll.

Which brings us to a word problem: If you have more demand for classes and fewer instructors to teach them, how long will it take you to arrive at frustration?

“Our faculty has really stepped up,” Lamb said, explaining that instructors have winked at union-negotiated classroom size caps. “They’re saying, ‘If you want this class, I’ll let you in.’ They realize the situation students are in.”

Student Services has had to be similarly pliable, said Beth Hauscarriague, dean of outreach, enrollment and matriculation. Her department helps students with admissions, assessment testing, counseling and financial aid.

At a campus where enrollment exceeds 21,000, there forever seems to be a line outside her door. Meanwhile, staffing cutbacks have forced a reduction in operating hours, which formerly were 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. four days a week. Now, the office opens an hour later and closes two hours earlier. During Christmas break, its doors will be closed for a week longer than usual because of furloughs.

“We’re still seeing the same number of students,” she said, “but we’re serving them with fewer staff members.”

Faculty Senate President Laurie Lema, a speech instructor, said uncertainty is one of the educators’ biggest enemies. Courses have been scheduled, then eliminated to meet budget cuts, then reinstated to accommodate student needs.

“We’re spending more time doing and redoing schedules,” she said. “We’re trying to pull together to serve as many students as possible.

“The variety of programs we offer students are essentially equivalent to the first two years of a four-year college experience. That’s what makes DVC impressive.”

The budget crunch is also reflected in fees. Last year, they were $26 per unit. This semester, they are $36. By next semester, they are likely to be $46.